1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to films, and more specifically, relates to a film forming liquid which is ultraviolet curable to an in situ formed surgical drape or wound dressing.
2. Background of the Invention
Conventional surgical drapes and wound dressings are composed of preformed films which may be solid but are generally porous. Such films are conventionally referred to as continuous and are usually adhered to the skin by a suitable adhesive. Several disadvantages result from this procedure. For example, preformed drapes often do not form a tight continuous seal with the skin so that avenues are available for bacterial penetration. Further, preferred films are difficult to adhere over irregular anatomical contours such as hands and knees. Care must be taken that nothing other than the drape (as, for example, a sleeve of a surgical gown) comes in contact with the adhesive prior to emplacement of the drape.
Surgical drapes which are applied as a solution in an appropriate solvent and subsequently cured by evaporation of the solvent are known. Cardarelli et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,374,126 discloses an antimicrobial film of a polyacrylic acid crosslinked with urea prepared by casting a solvent solution of the ingredients and evaporating the solvent. Good antimicrobial effect, transpiration, skin adherence and resistance to body fluids while being removable with soap and water are described.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,542,012 to Dell discloses an antimicrobial composition applied to the skin as a solvent solution which forms a film upon solvent evaporation. The composition includes an isocyanate-terminated polyurethane prepolymer linked to an isocyanate-terminated copolymer of an acrylate and N-vinylpyrrolidone by a chain extender. Iodine complexed with the polyvinylpyrrolidone is included as an antiseptic.
Burleigh, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,613,544 discloses a sheet material consisting of a backbone polymeric membrane matrix having transmembrane passageways which are filled with a hydrophilic polyoxyalkylene polyurethane applied as a prepolymer and cured in situ by heat or light.
Ultraviolet curing of acrylate terminated polyurethanes is disclosed by Szycher et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,759.
Several of the disadvantages of adhesively adhered preformed drapes have been addressed by these inventions, but deficiencies remain. The solvents used for casting may be irritative to the skin, and may require a long time for evaporation. In particular, solvent evaporation in a medical environment such as an operating room may be both a health hazard and a fire hazard. It is toward the overcoming of these deficiencies that this invention is directed.